The incumbent serves as Medical Supply Technician (MST), Sterile Processing Service (SPS) under the Associate Director for Patient Care Services. The incumbent functions as a sterile processing technician performing a wide variety of duties, including the various cleaning, decontamination and sterilization processes associated Reusable Medical Equipment (RME), which includes medical and surgical instruments reprocessing. Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Experience. Six months of experience that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work or provides an understanding of the work; OR Education. One year above high school that included at least 6 semester hours in health care related courses such as sterile processing, nursing assistant, hospital corpsman, and operating room and surgical technician courses or other courses related to the position; OR Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable. May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria). Grade Determinations: The following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates: GS-05 Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing) [Developmental] Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-04 Developmental). or Education. Four academic years above high school leading to a Bachelor's degree with at least 12 semester hours in courses related to the occupation or a Bachelor's degree. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate, in their resume, all of the following KSAs: Basic knowledge of surgical instruments used in operating rooms and clinic settings. Basic knowledge of event-related packaging in regards to sterility Knowledge of sterilization and cleaning equipment GS-06 Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing) [Full Performance Level] Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-05 Developmental). Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate, in their resume, all of the following KSAs: Knowledge of surgical instruments used in operating rooms and clinic settings. Knowledge of universal precautions for safety and prevention of cross contamination. Working knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, microbiology, medical conditions and procedures. Knowledge of sterility principles in regards to instrumentation. Ability to read and interpret written instructions and procedures. Preferred Experience: NONE Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS 6. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS 5 to GS 6. Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. Physical Requirements: The work in this position is performed in various settings: decontamination, preparation, clean sterile supply (preparation) and in other services and departments throughout the medical facility/campus. The incumbent may be required to work in areas that are hot, cold, drafty and poorly lighted. The employee is subject to the possibility of falls, scrapes, cuts, bruises, and other injuries from material handling equipment. The work requires standing, walking during the entire workday and frequent bending and lifting of packages (occasionally weighing as much as 50 pounds). The work requires dexterity and visual acuity for manipulating, disassembly and assembly of instrumentation. ["The Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing) duties include, but are not limited to: Removes soil, blood, tissue fragments, body fluids, and other contaminants by wiping, soaking, rinsing, and scrubbing. Inspects packages for indications of proper sterilization, assembles basic sets and trays used throughout the medical center including those used in the operating room. Prepares, loads, and operates sterilizers such as steam, Sterrad, Steris, and a high-level disinfecting scope reprocessor; prepares operating room case carts daily using surgery schedule. Decontamination, preparation, sterilization, and distribution support of critical and semi-critical reusable medical devices for the medical center Receive contaminated critical and semi-critical reusable medical equipment (RME) in the decontamination area. Disassembles the RME and determines the correct cleaning method such as, but not limited to, ultrasonic cleaners, mechanical. washers/disinfectors, cart washers and chemical cleaning/decontamination agents. Inspects, assembles and determines the correct method and packaging for sterilization, such as, but not limited to steam, Steris, V-Pro and high level disinfecting scope reprocessors (Medivator & Trophon). Performs and documents daily operational checks and records for all process and equipment. Work assignments may be in decontamination, prep and pack, Transporting or floating between areas Head to toe personal protective equipment (PPE) will be required in many areas Detailed, multi-step instructions for cleaning and decontamination of equipment as per manufacturer manuals and VA regulation must be followed at all times Delivery of sterilized equipment and pick up of decontaminated equipment throughout the medical center Work Schedule: Day shift: TBD, rotating on call weeknights/weekends/holidays OR Night shift: 2:00pm-10:30pm. Rotating on call for weeknights, weekends, and holidays. Compressed/Flexible: Not Available Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience. Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66. Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 92210-A and 92211-A Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized"]
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated health care system in the United States, providing care at 1,321 health care facilities, including 172 VA Medical Centers and 1,138 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics) to over 9 million Veterans enrolled in the VA health care program. VHA Medical Centers provide a wide range of services including traditional hospital-based services such as surgery, critical care, mental health, orthopedics, pharmacy, radiology and physical therapy. In addition, most of our medical centers offer additional medical and surgical specialty services including audiology & speech pathology, dermatology, dental, geriatrics, neurology, oncology, podiatry, prosthetics, urology, and vision care. Some medical centers also offer advanced services such as organ transplants and plastic surgery.